EXPERIMENTALLY INDUCED LIPID-PEROXIDATION AFTER EXPOSURE TO CHROMIUM, MERCURY OR SILVER - INTERACTIONS WITH CARBON-TETRACHLORIDE

Chromium, along with other heavy metals, induces an increased production of malondialdehyde (MDA), an indicator of lipid peroxidation, in liver and kidney tissue of NMRI male mice. After acute intoxications MDA levels remain high for 60 min, and thereafter return to normal in the kidney whereas MDA levels in liver are still increased 48 hr after exposure. Exposure of mice to chromium, mercury, or silver and another stimulator of lipid peroxidation, carbon tetrachloride, showed synergism between inorganic mercury and CCl4. Pre-exposure to chromium, organic mercury, or silver at selected doses did not enhance CCl4-toxicity as measured by organ content of MDA.